Enough Space For A Heartbeat
by LadyMeringue
Summary: Passion drove her deeper, into the abyss beneath his skin where she mapped his soul to the dance of his heartbeat. US-inspired IshVeer one-shot.


**Enough Space For A Heartbeat  
**

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 **A/N: Hey there everyone! I hope you are all doing well. :D :D  
**

 **Since I'm proof-reading US for the second time right now and there was a long-standing request, I decided to give it a shot. This is a summer special OS, so I will definitely not take responsibility of temperatures. *chuckles* Jokes apart, this can even be read independently as a one-shot as well.**

 **Dv, this one's for you and I hope that it was worth the wait for you! 3 I hope that it's worth a read. And before I forget - the chapter content is 18+, so all below the stipulated age are advised to give this a skip.  
**

 **Not keeping y'all for long now,**

 **Happy Reading! :D :D**

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"So, how was the experience?"

"Magical," replied Ishani enthusiastically as she threw herself into his arms, uncaring about the onlookers who now stared at them with a mixture of amusement and understanding.

"I can't believe that I had my first dive today, that too in the Great Barrier Reef! This is the best birthday gift you could have ever given me!"

For her thirtieth birthday, Ranveer had surprised her into a week-long holiday to Queensland, not telling her about the itinerary he had in mind until he finally got them checked into a hotel at Cairns. She had been disbelieving that she was actually going to take her first dive until they had their first lessons with their assigned instructor in the shallow waters, teaching them all the basics they required for the dive right from gestures to equipment knowledge.

But it was only when the two of them took their first dive together in the ocean that she had truly been able to believe what she was witness. A calm, blue abyss that harboured within in an unaffected world of its own. Where there was no one else. Just them, and another realm of nature that they'd never explored before. Never had they been so conscious of every single breath they took, but the blues and greens of this new world only left them humble.

They swam together amongst schools of fish, each different from the other, their instruction gesturing them about this and that every now and then. Getting used to the water pressure took some time, especially having to pop their ears clear at regular intervals, and since both of them managed to achieve that just fine, the instructor let them dive a little deeper than what was allowed for first time divers.

Neither of them were happy to leave the ocean and return back to the world of ester, but they still had four dives more to accomplish. Both of them had held each other in an embrace all through their way back to the shore, simply living and reliving through the experience of what they'd been through. If their sky-diving experience had been one to change their lives, this one seemed to reconnect them with nature in an entirely different way.

It was another experience engraved in their souls.

Sore muscles didn't matter to them as they spent their afternoon resting, stepping out from their cottage room only in the evening to enjoy the beach and have a candle light dinner along its shore, that was the hotel's dining lounge for privileges guests. They star-gazed for another hour over wine after dinner before deciding to walk back to their room.

"I think it's safe to say then that we can strike this item off your bucket list," whispered Ranveer once they separated, now beginning to walk once again with his arm around her shoulder.

"Fair enough."

"So have you thought of a new bucket list then?" asked Ranveer, and Ishani could hear the curiosity in his voice.

"Haven't quite really, but I'm sure we'll get there," she teased in return, tiptoeing high enough to be able to nip his lobe before leaving a kiss behind his ear. Ranveer circled his arms around her waist and brought her head so that they were face to face.

"But I see that you already have something in mind," whispered Ranveer as he kissed her cheek softly, grazing his cheek gently against her own until his lips were near her ears. Ishani giggled in spite of herself.

"Well, more like general curiosity," she replied, feeling intoxicated by his scent.

"And what might that be pertaining to?" he asked as they separated, now brushing his lips against the button of her nose.

"To how much more better you can make today," suggested Ishani, her eyes now widening to encompass the beauty of his twinkling ones against the moonlight. Ranveer arched his eyebrow in what was evidently a mock dilemma.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"This experience is the best gift you could have given me, but its still at par with the painting," replied Ishani as she now kissed his cheek before interlocking her arm within his own, both of them now climbing the steps to their cottage room.

"Getting a little greedy now, aren't we?" asked Ranveer as he fumbled with the keys but unlocked the door nonetheless. The look in his eye grew intense, and Ishani could feel her breathing get irregular, just like every time they crossed the boundary of love to the next level.

"Well, what can I say? You shouldn't pamper me so much then," whispered Ishani, her eyes now capturing Ranveer's with a gaze that left them both spellbound. This was certainly an extraordinary birthday, she had to admit.

"Then in that case, your wish is my demand. After you," added Ranveer, letting go of the handle of the door with a smile that made her bite her lip in longing.

Ishani flashed him a curious look but pushed open the door nonetheless. And gasped. The entire room was alight with candles, the scent of honey and lemon instantly making her go weak in her knees. Bulbs of purple-white orchids hung freshly in vases, and Ishani could instantly feel the temperature of the room grow warmer than the summer heat from outside.

She'd barely turned around to seek Ranveer's gaze when his lips claimed hers in a deep capture, drowning away all thoughts and questions from her mind. Once they separated, Ranveer nudged his nose against hers and smiled gently.

"There's something awaiting you in the washroom. Put it on and meet me here again," he whispered, now kissing her cheek and eyelids in slow, gentle pecks.

"And what is it that you have in mind?" asked Ishani, unable to hide her bubbling excitement.

"To make this the best birthday of your life," replied Ranveer in a deep baritone that made Ishani shiver in spite of herself.

She withdrew her gaze away from his own, suddenly feeling the heat rise up her neck. There was something about the way he looked at her like awakened a passion like no other in the depths of her heart, the love in his gaze unparalleled every time their eyes met with the same intensity. Gently kissing him in gratitude, Ishani reluctantly made her way to the washroom before shutting the door behind her and letting herself blush freely.

The washroom too, was alight with candles, and Ishani couldn't help but greedily take in the scent that so often managed to ensnare her senses. But before she could entirely lose herself into it, a red box by the platform caught her attention, instantly piquing up her interest. Quickly picking it up, Ishani opened it to find a satin white negligee staring at her in patient wait, its black lacing only looking devious in approach.

Biting her lip in anticipation, she quickly slipped on the negligee that hugged her figure precariously, falling way short of her standard with regards to its length. But she didn't mind it in the sweltering summer heat that somehow seemed to reflect even more in the room. Leaving the washroom, Ishani walked out coyly to find Ranveer backing her, having now changed into a full-sleeved black t-shirt and white cleared her throat softly and it caught Ranveer's attention, who turned around only to look gobsmacked. She laughed in spite of herself.

"You look even more stunning than I'd imagined you to look in this."

"So, what's next?" she asked as he pulled her into a loving embrace, kissing the crown of her head.

"Want to dance?" he suggested, and she nodded her head in relaxed delight.

"Sure. On what, though?" she asked, and he separated himself from her long enough to put on the music and ask her hand for a dance.

"If I may?" he asked and Ishaani gave him her hand, both of them now comfortably in the other's embrace as the song crooned from behind in Frank Sinatra's booming voice.

 _Strangers in the night exchanging glances_  
 _Wond'ring in the night what were the chances_  
 _We'd be sharing love before the night was through_

Ranveer twirled Ishani around once before swaying to the rhythm of the song, the latter now laying her head on his chest. The sound of his heart beating against his chest always gave her a solace that nothing else could match, and even after knowing him for twenty-two years, it was a feeling that never grew old. It only grew stronger with time.

 _Something in your eyes was so inviting_  
 _Something in your smile was so exciting_  
 _Something in my heart told me I must have you_

And even as she turned thirty and viewed her entire life before and ahead, there was only one person who'd stood beside all through all of it as an equal, whether together or apart. And after two years of struggling through all their ups and downs, she'd only come to appreciate the worth of their relationship even more. There were a lot of things that she didn't remember from their eight years apart, but what Ranveer had given her in their fourteen years as children and now together was more than enough to compensate for what she didn't know.

 _Strangers in the night_  
 _Two lonely people, we were strangers in the night_  
 _Up to the moment when we said our first hello little did we know_  
 _Love was just a glance away, a warm embracing dance away, and...  
_

Her father had always told her that love gradually bubbled into romance with time, but it was only with Ranveer that she realized what her father truly meant. They'd always had friendship and love between them in all those years, but the romance and companionship they now enjoyed in their relationship was something that went much deeper than words. It was a bond that went much deeper than expressions and actions. It was a bond that brought had them ashore to the world of security and happiness after a life time of insecurity and grief.

 _Ever since that night we've been together_  
 _Lovers at first sight, in love forever_  
 _It turned out so right for strangers in the night_

And as Ranveer held her close to himself, she shut her eyes and sighed contentedly. This was what she'd sought all her life. For someone who could finally quench her thirst for love. She now had the fortune to be held in his arms while she took in his scent, thanking the Almighty for the chance that life had given her again. Given them again. And she knew that she was not going to let him away from her sight anytime soon. Not after everything they had to go through to be together today.

 _Love was just a glance away, a warm embracing dance away_

Ishani snapped out from her thoughts when she felt Ranveer's lips press against her forehead in a kiss, suddenly wondering what he had planned for her ahead tonight. He never failed to show her how much her loved her, be it giving her something as simple as a foot massage on the days she returned tired from work, or spoiling her silly with gestures like these on occasions. What awaited her today though, she didn't know. But she liked the thrill of the surprises he always had in mind for her. Like the name she'd dubbed him years ago, he was a perfectionist in approach when it came to surprises.

 _Ever since that night we've been together_  
 _Lovers at first sight, in love forever_  
 _It turned out so right for strangers in the night_

Ishani raised her head at the same time the song blended into its final chorus, her eyes instantly meeting pools of brown. The warmth in the room only seemed to intensify, but she didn't know whether it was because of the heat they had between them or whether the air conditioner had broken down. But her thoughts fled away the moment she felt his breath cease against her lips, her arms automatically finding their way around his neck to bridge the gap between them.

And when his lips pulled her upwards into a slow, intimate capture, Ishani was barely aware of Ranveer actually hoisting her slightly into the air. She let her hands wander into his hair as their lips met in a second, heated capture, this time fairly aware about his fingers rubbing circles over her lower back against the material of her negligee. She felt Ranveer pull her even closer as his lips made faster contact with her own, his tongue soon finding entrance.

Through the bliss of sparks, Ishani was aware about a fall that felt cushioned, but it was only when Ranveer's lips took a bold detour straight down her neck did she realize that they'd fallen haphazardly over each other on the bed. She pulled Ranveer's chin up to see a mischievous twinkle in his eyes that remained partially hidden beneath the gush of passion that swam nakedly through the them.

"How do you like the preview so far?"

"Enticing enough," mumbled Ishani, wondering where her voice had abandoned her all of a sudden.

"Good, now put this on," instructed Ranveer as he brought ahead a black satin cloth, taking her by surprise.

"A _blindfold_? That's different."

"Isn't every time?" teased Ranveer and she blushed, her mind going into overdrive about their experiences before. It was with great difficulty that she snapped herself out from her thought this time.

"Fair enough. Let's see whether you can set a new record today as well then," she challenged boldly, and Ranveer smirked.

He gestured her to sit up and she did, now letting him blindfold her completely as she felt a newfound adrenaline course through her veins. This was something she'd never felt before. They'd never shied away from a friendly experiment, but this was certainly a first for her. And not knowing what to expect was something she found both enthralling yet slightly apprehensive too. But she knew that she was in for something she'd never experienced before.

"Tonight, just feel," was all Ranveer whispered in her ears before she felt a fresh wave of goosebumps break over her skin, making her shudder in spite of herself. She felt Ranveer lie her down and she remained still, wondering what was about to happen next.

Seconds grew into minutes and nothing did. She could not sense him around her anymore and called out to him several times, but there was no reply. Just when she decided to pull off the blindfold and see what was happening around, she heard something clink beside her, and the next moment, a pair of lips claimed her own. Ishani could feel her breathing ease up in spite of the heat she could feel rising up her chest.

"Where did you go?" heaved Ishani half-heartedly as Ranveer left trails of kisses from her forehead to her left cheek before doing the same on the opposite side. She let her hand clench his t-shirt firmly, their legs already entangled within each other's.

"I needed to get the main hero for tonight."

"You talk too cryptic," moaned Ishani as Ranveer nipped at the tendon in her shoulder, feeling herself ache for him already. But there was a sudden heat in the room that she couldn't explain, a heat that was beginning to make everything hazy for her in spite of the darkness achieved by the blindfold. "Why is the room so hot?" she complained, hoping that they could do something about it.

And that's when she felt it first.

Ranveer deepened the kiss with his tongue gaining entrance, its swirls sending her mind rolling over the edge and far away from abstract, unimportant concerns. And suddenly, she felt a gush of cold pass through her inner arm with such rapidity, she was certain that she was dreaming. She let her hand run through Ranveer's hair messily as the cold made her heave against his form, her lips parted even more in surrender.

He fell for the deception. Taking advantage of the time he took to readjust himself, Ishani let her tongue now deceive its way into his mouth, eliciting a choicest moan from him within minutes as she let her tongue make one, long swirl around his mouth while clenching at his hair the same time, leaving him unarmed.

And then she felt it for the second time.

The same cold gush passed through the sensitive skin of her other arm this time, slow and watery, and she gasped in surprise. Ranveer took advantage of her pause and regained dominance, this time leaving hotter trails of kisses down her neck. She was aware about the fact that both her hands were wet in some kind of trail, the droplets that parted from the mysterious source making her even more conscious about the heat. And then there was every single kiss that she was aware about.

She could feel every single pore of her body raise up to wherever his lips made contact, every single moan and breath they exchanged between themselves. She was conscious about every single beat of her heart that only caught pace as the heat of his kisses intensified, and she could feel every single beat of his heart pick pace every time her form heaved against his own. She could feel the heat of the room dwindle against the spark of their love, every droplet of water creating an ice of its own.

It was something she'd never experience before, and the sheer thrill of what he was making her feel was beginning to send her into another world of ecstasy. Until he took away his lips from her neck.

Ishani was conscious about the air fraught with tension between them before she felt the same cool trail run through her thigh. The sensation forced a sharp gasp out from her, and even before her parted lips had time to shut, she felt Ranveer fill the gap again. But this time, he was not alone. Between their lips now remained an _ice-cube_.

And she understood the rest.

Ishani could feel the ice melt against her lips, its drops sliding down her neck in slow, sensual trails. She sucked at the cube slowly, enjoying the cool of the cube after the heat, and even before she knew, her tongue had warped around it and had pulled it into her mouth, Ranveer's lips now heatedly kissing her own, cold ones. She could feel the heat of his breath against the cool of her own, and the combination alone seemed to make her throb harder for where she was aching for him.

"God, where do you even come up with such things from?" mumbled Ishani clumsily, and all Ranveer did was suck her earlobe tastefully, eliciting a louder and hoarser moan from her instead.

And as his lips trailed away to find her sore spot, Ishaani moaned in his ear with the pace he picked up, her restless hands no match for his agility. She was barely aware about when he'd freed her of her negligee, her mind entirely caught up with the sensation of the cube he'd placed just then at the center of her collarbone. She heaved and sunk deeper into the bed when she felt his bare chest sandwich the cube, the melting ice only increasing the heat between them.

Even before she could take lead, his hands had pinned hers to her side, his lips now devouring her necks in sparks of cool and hot. She could feel herself grown warmer and slicker when he brushed the cube in his mouth against the spot he'd just heated with his lips, the effect unbelievable. The blindfold seemed to intensify the effect of everything he was doing to her manifold, and she knew that she would not be able to hold out longer if he continued this way.

She could easily see what he now meant about his little trick with the ice cube.

She always knew that it would be intriguing, but never had she thought that it could be the death of her, seeing the finesse with which he seemed to be working the cube around her. And through the wild ride of emotions she was experiencing, she suddenly felt Ranveer turn her around. She moaned when she felt his fingers dance over her back but gasping when she felt three ice cubes slide artfully. She felt a fourth cube on the small of the back, its condensation making her nerves stand on edge, sharpening her senses to the trail of hot, wet kisses that Ranveer left along the arc of her back torridly.

His lips, tongue, teeth and fingers created a mix of sensations across the melting cubes that only sent Ishani on the teeters of her first orgasm for tonight, her moans intensifying by the minute as her fingers remained interlocked within his, her arms spread eagle-like.

It finally took Ranveer another devious kiss on her lips with a melting cube in between to have her come for the first time.

Ishani heaved tiredly as she rolled over her back, disbelieving of what he'd just achieved with only her back and neck so far. There had been several interludes where he'd taken initiative and in ways that had left her astounded, but tonight left all the others far behind. It even left her own initiatives far behind for that matter. She was halfway through drowsing away when she suddenly felt a splash trail of cold against her ribs.

Her lips part in spite of herself and she felt Ranveer capture her in a gentle kiss that made her smile in spite of herself. He was just giving her a minute to recover from the effect of the first one.

"How are you liking it so far?" he asked in a thick whisper, this time swooping in for a longer kiss.

"Extraordinary..." she whispered against his lips throatily once they parted, Ishani letting her fingers run over his back exquisitely.

She couldn't help but notice how rough and husky their voices had gone, the heat in it driving away everything else away from their minds. She loved the way he sounded during moments like these, but perhaps it was because she was blindfolded that she could feel her soul resonate with the deep baritone of his voice that trembled with the anticipation and exaltation of what awaited her next.

And then she felt Ranveer place a cube right in between the bridge of her chest. Even before she could absorb the sensation entirely, she felt Ranveer's tongue flatten against her curve in experienced expertise, his other hand finding its accompaniment with ease. The flattening of his tongue eventually led to a raunchy swirl that sent her legs flapping against his own, the firm knead of his fingers against the other only making her arch her back towards him in response.

She could feel him grow hard against her own warmth, realizing that his tracks was the only remaining piece of clothing between them. The pace of his lips, tongue and fingers increased by the passing seconds as her grunts got rougher and coarser, his name falling away from her lips in a slew of incoherent words. She struggled to breathe, the cold against her heart and the heat on either side driving her to the skirts of a pleasure she'd have thought impossible.

What magic it was that he was doing tonight, she didn't know, but never had anyone made her feel so good in her entire life as he was doing in that moment. The moment the first cube melted against her skin, she felt Ranveer kiss the spot as though in reverence, the heat of his breath only making her stomach jolt heavily with the prickles of what she knew was a second building orgasm.

But it was only when she felt him rub ice cubes gingerly on both mounds of flesh simultaneously did she actually find her chest catch up with the wondrous disbelief of what he was doing to her, her fingers now finding their way upon his back and through his hair in messy locks. And when he kissed her behind her ear and let his cold fingers graze across her ribs, she felt herself explode even strongly than the previous time, his name falling away from her lips in a tone that even took her by surprise before she fell quiet.

Ishani felt her head collapse on the pillow in a heap as she held on to Ranveer in an embrace, her breathing now shallow as the undercurrents of the moment passed by. She could feel her senses go for a toss as Ranveer's lips kissed away the sweat from her forehead, the tenderness of the moment between them making her heart swell with even more love for the man who was capable of making her feel that way.

She could not still digest at times how fast they could switch from desire to love within a matter of minutes. And even though blindfolded, but she knew that Ranveer did not have to see her to know when she needed to slow down or pick up pace. Like always, he understood.

"Someone's enjoying herself thoroughly," he whispered as he let a cube gently trace up her forehead, and like expected, her head arched in response.

"You're _dizzyingly_ fast. How are you even doing this?" she asked even though her voice was coloured with aroused wonder. She still hadn't entirely come down from her high, and what Ranveer said next made sure to keep her nerve endings on edge.

"The best is yet to come yet."

This time when Ranveer picked up, she was expecting the expected. But what she hadn't anticipated was how unbelievably good it actually felt. She felt Ranveer trail kisses over her abdomen and lower, leaving another cube to melt over her navel until suddenly he changed course. He pulled her leg against his shoulder and began icy kisses from the bottom, the ice in his mouth only making her jolt violently the higher he went.

Repeating the same trail with her opposite leg, he let his fingers trail circles on her inner thigh, and Ishani couldn't help but toss her head against the pillow in restless rapidity. Her moans grew louder and stronger with the passing minutes as his lips found its way up her stomach and back to her sensitive flesh for the second time, surprising her. She curled her leg around his own when she felt his finger trail below her hips, too punch drunk to try and predict his next move.

And then, she felt him slip a finger within her, garnering a sharp gasp.

Everything having been tossed out from her mind, the only vocabulary she found herself having access to was his name that left her name in a feverish whisper. Her form rose even higher against his own than before as her fingers dug into his skin and hair alike, her hips arching off the bed. She felt him simultaneously shower equal attention between both curves of her modesty with his lips before a second finger slipped in, now driving her to unexplored depths of ecstasy. If someone would have told her even till yesterday that she could feel like this, she would have been skeptical.

But not today. Not now.

Feeling herself grow on edge faster than she could anticipate as Ranveer rubbed his thumb in sharp, concentric circles along the ridge holding his two fingers, Ishani remained high on the paradise he was showing her with the way his fingers seemed to be working inside out. She always knew that they would great together, but it was with every passing experience that she realized just how amazing they were with each other. In those two years, they'd studied each other like an art they revered, and it was another layer to their complex relationship that they had come to appreciate immensely.

When he hit her spot with his fingers and rubbed a circle inside out that, Ishani wondered whether she was drugged under the influence of what his fingers pushing and pulling out and his circling thumb were doing to her in tandem. Through the waterfall of tingles and his replicating the same set of actions for the second times, Ishani barely had enough time to warn him amidst her rugged breathing before she came for the third time that night, falling limp on the pillow.

Floating through abstract thoughts, she was surprised that she hadn't hit her head on the woodboard behind her, but then again, she'd had a lot of surprises tonight. Along with a black out where she no longer had sense of being or belonging. When she opened her eyes next, she realized that Ranveer had taken off the blindfold from over her eyes and was smiling down at her tenderly.

"That ice cube is one filthy trick you had up your sleeve," whispered Ishani in an uncertain choice of words, still feeling disoriented after what he'd just managed to do. She could see that he looked extremely proud of himself.

"I don't see you complaining," he replied cheekily, and even before she had the time to retort, Ranveer kissed the button of her nose. She could now see the handiwork of her nails over his skin, and yet it was the sight of his hair sticking to his sweaty forehead that made her forget everything else. She always admired his charm, but there was a beauty about him without the cloak of RV that set him apart from every other worldly thing. It was his soul that made him a different sight to witness entirely during moment like these; his soul that danced naked through the realms of love in his chocolate eyes.

"Why did you take off the blindfold?" asked Ishani, still unable to take her eyes away from his own. Ranveer stroked her cheek lovingly and pulled away the plastered strands of hair before answering gently.

"Because you've had enough."

"If you're giving me the experience of simply feeling, how can you wind this off without the most important experience?" asked Ishani, her voice suddenly growing stronger along with the desire in her heart.

"And what's that?" asked Ranveer, looking surprised. Ishani smiled.

"The experience of feeling _you_."

"Are you sure?" asked Ranveer, and Ishani pulled him in for a raw, carnal kiss that was answer enough for him as he slipped the blindfold back upon her eyes.

She could feel her body loosening up after all the stiffness from earlier, losing herself into his scent as his lips met against her own in an earth-shattering intensity that she'd been enjoying since the start of their interlude. And then, she felt his terrain pass underneath her, parting her legs away with a skill she'd come to marvel. She let her legs circle around him as her hands found purchase in his hair, Ranveer finally parting lips with her.

She could feel the momentum between them build as friction now bubbled, frothing in its wake a passion that only left her aching for him within her. The friction reached its peak as they formed an fast-paced stroke and glide, Ishani now arching her hips to give him access, but he seemed to have control over her senses like a car in second gear on the slope, held only by its break.

Moans turned to pleas, pleas into rough whispers, but it was only when she was certain she'd reach breaking point that she witnessed another new. She felt Ranveer take her in with one swift glide at the same time their lips met with another ice-cube, the cube melting at as fast a pace as the rhythm of his thrusts. It took him four sharp thrusts to hit her her deepest wall, knowing that there was no more scope for he'd hit her spot.

Through floats of haze and passion, fire and ice, sweat and water, and Ranveer's lips salaciously kissing her own did Ishani find herself coming for the fourth time. Her body finally gave up against the intensity with which she came, feeling the blood rush back up into her brain. He'd single-handedly held her through the longest orgasms she'd had up until that point, the pleasure devastating as she clenched at the back of his hair and fell back on her pillow, his name leaving her lips in the most explicit of moans.

She felt Ranveer heave and roll into her simultaneously before his form collapsed against her own, both of them struggling to breathe for several passing seconds. It was an experience like never before, and it was only after several minutes of him withdrawing and pulling off the blindfold did Ishani finally open her eyes to find his chocolate ones staring at her.

"Happy Birthday, Ishani," he whispered, his voice now holding an ocean of love for her that she so readily could drown into. There was so much that she wanted to tell him about everything he'd done for her tonight - his gestures, the experience, the explorations and the mind-boggling love he'd given her tonight, but she couldn't find words express what he'd given her tonight. This was the best birthday she'd ever had, she had to agree wholeheartedly, gifts included.

"I love you so much, Ranveer," she mumbled through a sleepy smile, suddenly feeling darkness overcome her senses as her muscles now gave in to the strain of the day.

"I love you too, Princess Moon," replied Ranveer as gave her a gentle peck, Ishani letting him scoot her into his arms as he pulled the covers over them.

"This is certainly the best we've ever had so far," muttered Ishani through her disconnected thoughts, aware about how dreamy her voice sounded. Words would fail to give justice to how much she would cherish this night for the years to come, but she knew that he would understand. And she knew he did.

"Even better than the first?" asked Ranveer curiously, and Ishaani smiled against his chest sheepishly, wondering whether her face had the capacity to turn any redder after what she'd just explored.

"That was some hot love you gave me there, but tonight was... _wild,_ " she replied, distantly astounded at having being able to frame her sentence whole.

She always loved this side of Ranveer's where he showed love without any inhibition, loving her the way he always yearned to. There was a reason she'd name him Mr. Prefect Perfect years ago, and tonight proved for good reason why he was such a perfectionist in approach. He loved with all his heart, mind and soul. That's what made him so extraordinary with his skills, she sleepily marvelled.

"So what do we name this little interlude then?" asked Ranveer, but this time there came no reply.

He looked at Ishani to see that she'd fallen asleep, her hair obscuring her face. He gently pulled away the disobedient strands and kissed her temple gently before pulling her closer to him. What words couldn't describe, her coal eyes had. And he needed nothing more. She was the sunlight bearing happiness in his life, and he would always keep making her happier than she'd ever been in her life until his last breath, he vowed to himself before falling asleep the same way.

She was his passion, his want, his need, his desire, his life... his _aashiqui_. And he was hers. There was no space in their hearts for anything else except love, similar to their interlude tonight.

But just enough for a heartbeat.

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 **Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D :D**


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